Method of subdividing blocks or ingots.



PATENTBD MAR.17,1903. J. SCALES; Y

METHOD- 0F SUBDIVIDING BLGGKS 0R. NGOTS,

APPLIOA'TION FILED un. 1a, 19o3.

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YH: onms versus co. monnlma. wAsumnrcN, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH SCALES, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNION CARBIDECOMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF SUBDIVIDING BLOCKS OR INGOTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,759, dated March17, 1903.

Application filed January 13,1903.. Serial No. 138,870. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPHv SCALES, residing at Niagara Falls, in thecounty of Niagara and State o'f New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Methods of Subdividing Blocks or Ingots, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of subdividing blocks or ingots, andparticularly to a method of detaching large pieces of calcium carbidfrom the blocks or ingots produced in carbid-furnaces. In electricfurnaces of the type shown in United States Patent No. 597,880, issuedJanuary 25, 1898, to William Smith Horry, the formation of carbid iscontinuous and the product is obtained in the furnace as a block oringot of great size and weight. In order to remove the carbid from the furna'ce,it is necessary that it be subdivided. This is accomplishedaccording to my invention in the-.following manner: One or more holesare drilled or bored into the body of the block oringot when it isstillin ahighly-heated state and at the same time a reagent capable ofeifecting disintegration of the carbid is injected into the cavity,preferably through the drill, and into contact with the carbid. Thecutting-surface of the drill is thereby preserved and the drilling orboring operation is facilitated by the local disintegration of thecarbid due to the reaction therewith of the injected reagent. A wedgemay then be driven into the hole or holes made by the drill and asection ofthe desired size thereby broken o from the main block, theline of fracture passing through the drill-hole. As suitable reagentsfor the purpose I may mention air, water, and steam, all of which act tooxidize and therefore to disintegrate the carbid. l

The invention will be readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showingthe block of carbid and a portion of the drill in vertical section, airor water being supplied through the hollow drill; and Fig. 2 is a sideelevation with the block of carbid in vertical section, showing air orwater injected into the bore-hole at one side of the drill.

The drill employed may be of any wellknown or suitable construction.That shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a standard 1, having at its upperend a head 2, withinwhich is a horizontally-threaded passage. `Throughthe head 2 passes a threaded shaft 3, which constitutes the stem of thedrill and carries at its forward end a cutting-bit 4. The drill issimultaneously rotated and driven forward by a bevel-gear 5, Iiournaledloosely on the threaded shaft 3, but having a spline 6,which engagesalongitudinal groove 7 in the shaft. The stem 3 of the drill shown inFig. l has a central passage S, to and through which air or water isdelivered by a flexible hose 9, leading from a pump 10. In theconstruction shown in Fig. 2 air or water is delivered into thebore-hole at one side of the drill by a nozzle 11, fed by hose 9 andpump 10. While the drill shown is one lusing a rotary or boring bit, adrill with a reciprocating bit may be employed or any mechanical devicewhich will produce a recess or hole in the block to be subdivided.

Although the operation is best accomplished by the coincident use, asabove' described, of a drill and injected reagent, .it may be effectedby a jet of the reagent alone without the use of the drill or othermechanical appliance. In this case the local disintegration abovereferred to is relied upon to form aY cavity or opening into which thewedge may be driven.

My method may be applied to other materials than calcium carbid, and`other reagents than water, air, or steam may be employed, theparticular reagent being chosen with reference to the character of thematerial upon which it is desired to operate. It is essential onlythatthe reagent be capable of acting upon the block or ingot in a heatedstate to cause va local solution orl vdisintegration, which will assistits subdivision, as above described.

I do not claim specifically herein the method which consists insubdividing blocks or ingots of carbid .by the aid of a jet of water orsteam, since such method is claimed in my copending application, SerialNo. 106,217, led May 6, 1902.

IOO

I claiml. The method of subdividing heated blocks or ingots, whichconsists in locally subjecting the heated block 'to the action of areagent capable of effecting disintegration of Ithe material to form acavity therein, and then breaking the block through said cavity, as setforth.

2. The method of subdividing heated blocks oringos, which consists indrilling the heated block, simultaneously injecting into the cavityformed bythe drill a reagent capable of effecting disintegration of thematerial, and then breaking the block through said cavity, as set forth.

3. The method of su bdividing heated blocks or in gots, which consistsin drilling the heated block, simultaneously injecting through the drillinto the cavity formed by the drill a `re -agent capable of effectingdisintegration of the material, and breaking the block through saidcavity, as set forth. l

4t. The method of subdividing heated blocks or ingots, which consists indrilling the block While retained Within a furnace, simultaneouslyinjecting into the cavity formed by the drill a reagent capable ofeecting disintegration of the material, and then breaking the blockthrough said cavity, as set forth.

5. The method of subdividing heated blocks or ingots, which consists indrilling the block while retained within a furnace, simultaneouslyinjecting through the drill into the cavity formed by the drill, areagent capable of eecting disintegration of the material, and thenbreaking the block through saidcavity, as set forth.

6. The method of subdividing heated blocks or ingots of a carbid, whichconsists in locally subjecting the heated .block to the action of areagent capable of effecting disintegration of the carbid to form acavity therein, and then breaking the block through the said cavity, asset forth.

7. The method of subdividing heated blocks or ingots of a carbid, whichconsists in drilling the block, simultaneously injecting into the cavityformed by the drill a reagent capable of effecting disintegration of thecarbid, and then breaking the block through said cavity, as set forth.

S. The method of discharging carbid from an electric furnace, whichconsists in drilling a block or ingot of carbid While still retainedWithin the furnace, simultaneously injecting into the cavity formed bythe drill a reagent capable of effecting disintegration of the carbid,and then break ing the block through said cavity, as set forth.

9. The method of subdividng heated blocks or ingots of calcium carbid,which consists in locally subjecting the block to the action of air,thereby effecting local disintegration of the carbid lto form a cavitytherein, and then breaking lthe block through said cavity, as setforth'.

10. The method of subdividing heated blocks or ingots of calcium carbid,which consists in drilling the block, simultaneously injecting air intothe cavity formed by the drill, thereby eliecting localV disintegrationof the carbid, and then breaking the block through said cavity, as setforth.

ll. The method of subdividing heated blocks or ingots of calcium carbid,which consists in drilling the block, simultaneously injecting airthrough the drill into the cavity formed by the drill, thereby effectinglocal disintegration of the carbid, and then breaking the block throughsaid cavity, as set forth.

l2. The method of discharging calcium carbid from an electric furnace,which consists in drilling a block or ingot of carbid while stillretained Within the furnace, simultaneously injecting'air into thecavity formed by the drill, thereby eEecting local disintegration of thecarbid, and then breaking the block through said cavity, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOSEPH SCALES.

Witnesses:

E. F. PRICE, G. E. Cox.

